The UAE has emerged as a leader in COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the world as it aims to ship 8 billion vaccine doses to pandemic-affected countries over the next two years. Addressing a recent panel discussion at the US-UAE Business Council, Dr. Omar Najim, Executive Office Director, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, affirmed that the robust partnership between Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance and Abu Dhabi’s HOPE Consortium has helped in leading UAE's efforts to transport COVID-19 vaccines to countries across the world.

“We, along with our brothers and sisters in Dubai, have been transporting millions of vaccines through Abu Dhabi and Dubai, around the world. At many times, vaccines arrive in Dubai and they get transported to Abu Dhabi and from there they get shipped somewhere else if needed and vice versa," Dr. Najim said.

He underlined that a medical devices firm based in Mussafah industrial area is playing a crucial role in facilitating logistics cooperation between Dubai and Abu Dhabi and boosting the efforts of the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme.

He further highlighted the challenges in transporting 8 billion vaccine doses in the next two years. In this regard, Dr. Najim explained that COVID-19 vaccines arrive at the International Humanitarian City from various manufacturing places such as India or other countries. In the International Humanitarian City, they are packaged with needles and syringes after which they are further shipped to destination countries. He added that at least 25 percent of all syringes that COVAX is going to use (about 2 billion) are being provided by the Abu Dhabi Medical Devices Company. Dr. Najim noted that needles and syringes manufactured in Abu Dhabi go to JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone) or DP World, where they are packed with the vaccines and later shipped by Emirates airlines.

"We and Emirates, as well as other airlines and entities, are working together to achieve the global goal of getting out of this pandemic as fast and possible,” Dr. Najim said.

He asserted that about 4 billion out of the total 7 billion global population will be required to get vaccinated in order to overcome the global pandemic crisis.

"The 4 billion on average are going to require each one of the two doses; that means you need 8 billion doses to be transported around the world," he added.

Shaima Gargash, Deputy Chief of Mission at the UAE Embassy in Washington DC, hailed the exceptional role played by the UAE in transporting the vaccines to less developed countries. She lauded the successful models of Abu Dhabi’s Hope Consortium and Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance that have contributed to the UAE’s collaborative response to the pandemic crisis.

"Both these initiatives provide the much-needed supply chain solution that not only helps in addressing how COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured and stored but also how vaccines are distributed to people that need them the most,” Shaima Gargash added.

Dennis Lister, Vice President of Cargo Commercial Development at Emirates Sky Cargo, praised the joint efforts of both the Dubai and Abu Dhabi entities. He underlined that UAE's mission and goals are helping in getting the vaccines to the countries that need them the most.

"The key part if you look at the International Humanitarian City, it is based right in the middle between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And that’s a really good connection because they are one of the largest humanitarian cities in the world that could provide aid, support, and critical vaccines to a lot of developing countries," Dennis Lister added.

He noted that the UAE is greatly positioned to transport the vaccines to all countries in need. He asserted that the UAE has the capability and infrastructure to support manufacturers and partners to reach out to various countries in different developing markets.

"We have to roll up our sleeves and engage and use the technical capabilities and expertise we have across all the dimensions in the UAE," he asserted.